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Chu HY, Smith Y, Lytton WW, Grafton S, Villalba R, Masilamoni G, Wichmann T. Dysfunction of motor cortices in Parkinson's disease. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae294. [PMID: 39066504 PMCID: PMC11281850 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex has long been thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The impaired cortical function is believed to be a direct and immediate effect of pathologically patterned basal ganglia output, mediated to the cerebral cortex by way of the ventral motor thalamus. However, recent studies in humans with Parkinson's disease and in animal models of the disease have provided strong evidence suggesting that the involvement of the cerebral cortex is much broader than merely serving as a passive conduit for subcortical disturbances. In the present review, we discuss Parkinson's disease-related changes in frontal cortical motor regions, focusing on neuropathology, plasticity, changes in neurotransmission, and altered network interactions. We will also examine recent studies exploring the cortical circuits as potential targets for neuromodulation to treat Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yuan Chu
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3900 Reservoir Rd N.W., Washington D.C. 20007, United States
| | - Yoland Smith
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Drive N.E., Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
- Emory National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road N.E., Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
| | - William W Lytton
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States
- Department of Neurology, Kings County Hospital, 451 Clarkson Avenue,Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States
| | - Scott Grafton
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, 551 UCEN Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Rosa Villalba
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
- Emory National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road N.E., Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
| | - Gunasingh Masilamoni
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
- Emory National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road N.E., Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
| | - Thomas Wichmann
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Drive N.E., Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
- Emory National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Road N.E., Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States
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Neumann WJ, Steiner LA, Milosevic L. Neurophysiological mechanisms of deep brain stimulation across spatiotemporal resolutions. Brain 2023; 146:4456-4468. [PMID: 37450573 PMCID: PMC10629774 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation is a neuromodulatory treatment for managing the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Electrodes are chronically implanted in disease-relevant brain regions and pulsatile electrical stimulation delivery is intended to restore neurocircuit function. However, the widespread interest in the application and expansion of this clinical therapy has preceded an overarching understanding of the neurocircuit alterations invoked by deep brain stimulation. Over the years, various forms of neurophysiological evidence have emerged which demonstrate changes to brain activity across spatiotemporal resolutions; from single neuron, to local field potential, to brain-wide cortical network effects. Though fruitful, such studies have often led to debate about a singular putative mechanism. In this Update we aim to produce an integrative account of complementary instead of mutually exclusive neurophysiological effects to derive a generalizable concept of the mechanisms of deep brain stimulation. In particular, we offer a critical review of the most common historical competing theories, an updated discussion on recent literature from animal and human neurophysiological studies, and a synthesis of synaptic and network effects of deep brain stimulation across scales of observation, including micro-, meso- and macroscale circuit alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolf-Julian Neumann
- Movement Disorder and Neuromodulation Unit, Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Leon A Steiner
- Movement Disorder and Neuromodulation Unit, Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Department of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto M5T 1M8, Canada
| | - Luka Milosevic
- Department of Clinical and Computational Neuroscience, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto M5T 1M8, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Medical Sciences, and CRANIA Neuromodulation Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G9, Canada
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Primary motor cortex in Parkinson's disease: Functional changes and opportunities for neurostimulation. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105159. [PMID: 33152506 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Movement abnormalities of Parkinson's disease (PD) arise from disordered neural activity in multiple interconnected brain structures. The planning and execution of movement requires recruitment of a heterogeneous collection of pyramidal projection neurons in the primary motor cortex (M1). The neural representations of movement in M1 single-cell and field potential recordings are directly and indirectly influenced by the midbrain dopaminergic neurons that degenerate in PD. This review examines M1 functional alterations in PD as uncovered by electrophysiological recordings and neurostimulation studies in patients and experimental animal models. Dysfunction of the parkinsonian M1 depends on the severity and/or duration of dopamine-depletion and the species examined, and is expressed as alterations in movement-related firing dynamics; functional reorganisation of local circuits; and changes in field potential beta oscillations. Neurostimulation methods that modulate M1 activity directly (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation) or indirectly (subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation) improve motor function in PD patients, showing that targeted neuromodulation of M1 is a realistic therapy. We argue that the therapeutic profile of M1 neurostimulation is likely to be greatly enhanced with alternative technologies that permit cell-type specific control and incorporate feedback from electrophysiological biomarkers measured locally.
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Pasquereau B, DeLong MR, Turner RS. Primary motor cortex of the parkinsonian monkey: altered encoding of active movement. Brain 2016; 139:127-43. [PMID: 26490335 PMCID: PMC4794619 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormalities in the movement-related activation of the primary motor cortex (M1) are thought to be a major contributor to the motor signs of Parkinson's disease. The existing evidence, however, variably indicates that M1 is under-activated with movement, overactivated (due to a loss of functional specificity) or activated with abnormal timing. In addition, few models consider the possibility that distinct cortical neuron subtypes may be affected differently. Those gaps in knowledge were addressed by studying the extracellular activity of antidromically-identified lamina 5b pyramidal-tract type neurons (n = 153) and intratelencephalic-type corticostriatal neurons (n = 126) in the M1 of two monkeys as they performed a step-tracking arm movement task. We compared movement-related discharge before and after the induction of parkinsonism by administration of MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) and quantified the spike rate encoding of specific kinematic parameters of movement using a generalized linear model. The fraction of M1 neurons with movement-related activity declined following MPTP but only marginally. The strength of neuronal encoding of parameters of movement was reduced markedly (mean 29% reduction in the coefficients from the generalized linear model). This relative decoupling of M1 activity from kinematics was attributable to reductions in the coefficients that estimated the spike rate encoding of movement direction (-22%), speed (-40%), acceleration (-49%) and hand position (-33%). After controlling for MPTP-induced changes in motor performance, M1 activity related to movement itself was reduced markedly (mean 36% hypoactivation). This reduced activation was strong in pyramidal tract-type neurons (-50%) but essentially absent in corticostriatal neurons. The timing of M1 activation was also abnormal, with earlier onset times, prolonged response durations, and a 43% reduction in the prevalence of movement-related changes beginning in the 150-ms period that immediately preceded movement. Overall, the results are consistent with proposals that under-activation and abnormal timing of movement-related activity in M1 contribute to parkinsonian motor signs but are not consistent with the idea that a loss of functional specificity plays an important role. Given that pyramidal tract-type neurons form the primary efferent pathway that conveys motor commands to the spinal cord, the dysfunction of movement-related activity in pyramidal tract-type neurons is likely to be a central factor in the pathophysiology of parkinsonian motor signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Pasquereau
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Center for Neuroscience and The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Mahlon R DeLong
- 2 Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert S Turner
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Center for Neuroscience and The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
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Lefaucheur JP. Treatment of Parkinson’s disease by cortical stimulation. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 9:1755-71. [DOI: 10.1586/ern.09.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Pasquereau B, Turner RS. Primary motor cortex of the parkinsonian monkey: altered neuronal responses to muscle stretch. Front Syst Neurosci 2013; 7:98. [PMID: 24324412 PMCID: PMC3840326 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2013.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Exaggeration of the long-latency stretch reflex (LLSR) is a characteristic neurophysiologic feature of Parkinson's disease (PD) that contributes to parkinsonian rigidity. To explore one frequently-hypothesized mechanism, we studied the effects of fast muscle stretches on neuronal activity in the macaque primary motor cortex (M1) before and after the induction of parkinsonism by unilateral administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). We compared results from the general population of M1 neurons and two antidromically-identified subpopulations: distant-projecting pyramidal-tract type neurons (PTNs) and intra-telecenphalic-type corticostriatal neurons (CSNs). Rapid rotations of elbow or wrist joints evoked short-latency responses in 62% of arm-related M1 neurons. As in PD, the late electromyographic responses that constitute the LLSR were enhanced following MPTP. This was accompanied by a shortening of M1 neuronal response latencies and a degradation of directional selectivity, but surprisingly, no increase in single unit response magnitudes. The results suggest that parkinsonism alters the timing and specificity of M1 responses to muscle stretch. Observation of an exaggerated LLSR with no change in the magnitude of proprioceptive responses in M1 is consistent with the idea that the increase in LLSR gain that contributes to parkinsonian rigidity is localized to the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Pasquereau
- Department of Neurobiology, Center for Neuroscience and The Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Subthalamic nucleus neurons are synchronized to primary motor cortex local field potentials in Parkinson's disease. J Neurosci 2013; 33:7220-33. [PMID: 23616531 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4676-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson's disease (PD), striatal dopamine denervation results in a cascade of abnormalities in the single-unit activity of downstream basal ganglia nuclei that include increased firing rate, altered firing patterns, and increased oscillatory activity. However, the effects of these abnormalities on cortical function are poorly understood. Here, in humans undergoing deep brain stimulator implantation surgery, we use the novel technique of subdural electrocorticography in combination with subthalamic nucleus (STN) single-unit recording to study basal ganglia-cortex interactions at the millisecond time scale. We show that in patients with PD, STN spiking is synchronized with primary motor cortex (M1) local field potentials in two distinct patterns: first, STN spikes are phase-synchronized with M1 rhythms in the theta, alpha, or beta (4-30 Hz) bands. Second, STN spikes are synchronized with M1 gamma activity over a broad spectral range (50-200 Hz). The amplitude of STN spike-synchronized gamma activity in M1 is itself rhythmically modulated by the phase of a lower-frequency rhythm (phase-amplitude coupling), such that "waves" of phase-synchronized gamma activity precede the occurrence of STN spikes. We show the disease specificity of these phenomena in PD, by comparison with STN-M1 paired recordings performed in a group of patients with a different disorder, primary craniocervical dystonia. Our findings support a model of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical loop in PD in which gamma activity in primary motor cortex, modulated by the phase of low-frequency rhythms, drives STN unit discharge.
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Pasquereau B, Turner RS. Primary motor cortex of the parkinsonian monkey: differential effects on the spontaneous activity of pyramidal tract-type neurons. Cereb Cortex 2011; 21:1362-78. [PMID: 21045003 PMCID: PMC3097989 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhq217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of primary motor cortex (M1) is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of parkinsonism. What specific aspects of M1 function are abnormal remains uncertain, however. Moreover, few models consider the possibility that distinct cortical neuron subtypes may be affected differently. Those questions were addressed by studying the resting activity of intratelencephalic-type corticostriatal neurons (CSNs) and distant-projecting lamina 5b pyramidal-tract type neurons (PTNs) in the macaque M1 before and after the induction of parkinsonism by administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Contrary to previous reports, the general population of M1 neurons (i.e., PTNs, CSNs, and unidentified neurons) showed reduced baseline firing rates following MPTP, attributable largely to a marked decrease in PTN firing rates. CSN firing rates were unmodified. Although burstiness and firing patterns remained constant in M1 neurons as a whole and CSNs in particular, PTNs became more bursty post-MPTP and less likely to fire in a regular-spiking pattern. Rhythmic spiking (found in PTNs predominantly) occurred at beta frequencies (14-32 Hz) more frequently following MPTP. These results indicate that MPTP intoxication induced distinct modifications in the activity of different M1 neuronal subtypes. The particular susceptibility of PTNs suggests that PTN dysfunction may be an important contributor to the pathophysiology of parkinsonian motor signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Pasquereau
- Department of Neurobiology, Center for Neuroscience and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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McCairn KW, Turner RS. Deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus in the parkinsonian primate: local entrainment and suppression of low-frequency oscillations. J Neurophysiol 2009; 101:1941-60. [PMID: 19164104 DOI: 10.1152/jn.91092.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Competing theories seek to account for the therapeutic effects of high-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the internal globus pallidus (GPi) for medically intractable Parkinson's disease. To investigate this question, we studied the spontaneous activity of 102 pallidal neurons during GPiDBS in two macaques rendered parkinsonian by administration of MPTP. Stimulation through macroelectrodes in the GPi (> or =200 microA at 150 Hz for 30 s) reduced rigidity in one animal and increased spontaneous movement in both. Novel artifact subtraction methods allowed uninterrupted single-unit recording during stimulation. GPiDBS induced phasic (78% of cells) or sustained (22%) peristimulus changes in firing in both pallidal segments. A subset of cells responded at short latency (<2 ms) in a manner consistent with antidromic driving. Later phasic increases clustered at 3- to 5-ms latency. Stimulation-induced decreases were either phasic, clustered at 1-3 ms, or sustained, showing no peristimulus modulation. Response latency and magnitude often evolved over 30 s of stimulation, but responses were relatively stable by the end of that time. GPiDBS reduced mean firing rates modestly and only in GPi (-6.9 spikes/s). Surprisingly, GPiDBS had no net effect on the prevalence or structure of burst firing. GPiDBS did reduce the prevalence of synchronized low-frequency oscillations. Some cell pairs became synchronized instead at the frequency of stimulation. Suppression of low-frequency oscillations did not require high-frequency synchronization, however, or even the presence of a significant peristimulus response. In summary, the therapeutic effects of GPiDBS may be mediated by an abolition of low-frequency synchronized oscillations as a result of phasic driving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin W McCairn
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, 4047 BST-3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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Gaynor LMFD, Kühn AA, Dileone M, Litvak V, Eusebio A, Pogosyan A, Androulidakis AG, Tisch S, Limousin P, Insola A, Mazzone P, Di Lazzaro V, Brown P. Suppression of beta oscillations in the subthalamic nucleus following cortical stimulation in humans. Eur J Neurosci 2008; 28:1686-95. [PMID: 18657185 PMCID: PMC2695156 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06363.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
It is unclear how subthalamic nucleus activity is modulated by the cerebral cortex. Here we investigate the effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the cortex on oscillatory subthalamic local field potential activity in the 8–35 Hz (alpha/beta) band, as exaggerated synchronization in this band is implicated in the pathophysiology of parkinsonism. We studied nine patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to test whether cortical stimulation can modulate synchronized oscillations in the human subthalamic nucleus. With patients at rest, single-pulse TMS was delivered every 5 s over each primary motor area and supplementary motor area at intensities of 85–115% resting motor threshold. Subthalamic local field potentials were recorded from deep brain stimulation electrodes implanted into this nucleus for the treatment of PD. Motor cortical stimulation suppressed beta activity in the subthalamic nucleus from ∼0.2 to 0.6 s after TMS (repeated measures anova; main effect of time, P<0.01; main effect of side, P=0.03), regardless of intensity. TMS over the supplementary motor area also reduced subthalamic beta activity at 95% (P=0.05) and 115% resting motor threshold (P=0.01). The oscillatory activity decreased to 80 ± 26% of baseline (averaged across sites and stimulation intensities). Suppression with subthreshold stimuli confirmed that these changes were centrally driven and not due to peripheral afference. The results may have implications for mechanisms underlying the reported therapeutic benefits of cortical stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M F Doyle Gaynor
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, London, UK
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Cilia R, Marotta G, Landi A, Isaias IU, Vergani F, Benti R, Sganzerla E, Gerundini P, Pezzoli G, Antonini A. Cerebral activity modulation by extradural motor cortex stimulation in Parkinson's disease: a perfusion SPECT study. Eur J Neurol 2007; 15:22-8. [PMID: 18042244 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2007.01993.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Extradural motor cortex stimulation (EMCS) has been proposed as alternative to deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Its mechanisms of action are still unclear. Neuroimaging evidenced motor cortical dysfunction in PD that can be reversed by therapy. We performed left hemisphere EMCS surgery in six advanced PD patients fulfilling CAPSIT criteria for DBS with the exception of age >70 years. After 6 months, we measured regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at rest with SPECT and Tc-99m cysteinate dimer bicisate off-medication with stimulator off and on. Clinical assessment included Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part II and III, Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale and mean dopaminergic medication dosage. We used statistical parametric mapping for imaging data analysis. Clinically we observed no mean changes in motor scales, although blinded evaluation revealed some benefit in individual patients. We found significant rCBF decrements in the pre-central gyrus, pre-motor cortex and caudate nucleus bilaterally, left prefrontal areas and right thalamus. Perfusion increments were found in cerebellum bilaterally. EMCS determined significant modulation of neuronal activity within the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical motor loop in our cohort of advanced PD patients. However, these effects were paralleled by mild and variable clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Cilia
- Parkinson Institute, Istituti Clinici di Perfezionamento, Milan, Italy, and Department of Neurology, University of Milan-Biocca, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
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